Rising star makes final cut in prestigious competition

A TALENTED young chef working at Liss Ard Estate in Skibbereen has been selected for the final of the Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year 2022.

Eoghan O’Flynn (24), who is a native of Cobh, has been working at Liss Ard Estate for the last year.

‘I had worked with Alex Petit, our head chef, for two years at the Celtic Ross, before doing a year at the one Michelin-starred restaurant Bastion in Kinsale,’ he told The Southern Star.

‘It was Alex who brought me back to Liss Ard. He is particularly good to work for. He also has given me the best opportunities in my career.

‘Liss Ard, too, is absolutely gorgeous,’ he added. ‘It’s a breath-taking place in which to work and I believe it has enormous potential.’

The competition, presented by La Rousse Foods, promotes young chefs who are themselves mentored by some of the country’s leading talents.

Eoghan said he is gaining lots of experience and skills under the tutelage of Alex, the French head chef at Liss Ard.

Judges at the semi-final – Richard Corrigan of The Corrigan Collection, Shauna Froydenlund formerly chef patron of Marcus at The Berkeley, Kieran Glennon of Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud and Euro-Toques Commissioner General Gareth Mullins of The Marker Hotel – chose the seven young contenders for the title at the semi-final in Dublin at the weekend.

The young chefs were asked to create a family-style dish using mackerel and a surprise basket of ingredients.

With Domini Kemp and Conor Halpenny running the kitchen, the young chefs worked hard to fulfil the brief and  to showcase their knife skills, palate, creativity, ability to plate, cooking, seasoning, technique, understanding of raw ingredients and ability to read a recipe.

The seven selected finalists in the Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year competition, will have the opportunity to experience a series of educational events over the summer months before the grand final in September, including a stay at Ballymaloe, a masterclass with Michelin-starred chef, Mark Froydenlund, and a lunch at a Michelin starred restaurant.